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Stem Cell News
Backing Ethical Stem Cell Research Makes More
Sense
By David Plemmons, The Kansas City Star, August 6,
2007
“Now faith is the substance of things hoped for,
the evidence of things not seen” (Hebrews 11:1).
Pro-life conservatives are often accused of placing
faith before progress by opponents of the ethical
limitations on scientific research. Ironically,
faith is exactly the primary element in their
assertion that only embryonic stem cells will be able
to treat our worst ailments.
This point was demonstrated when President Bush
vetoed a bill that would force taxpayers to fund the
experimental destruction of human embryos, Senator
Hillary Clinton was quite critical of the decision.
Said Clinton: “Our scientists have been set back
years in the race for life-saving cures because
they’ve been held back by a narrow ideology that
rejects sound science.”
President Bush on the other hand, strenuously
encouraged non-controversial stem cell research and
directed Health and Human Services Secretary Mike
Leavitt to do just that. This fact is
conveniently omitted by Senator Clinton in her
criticism.
It is as if Bush and fellow conservatives reject
stem cell research entirely. Or at least that is
what many politicians, pundits, and journalists claim.
This is at the very best, lazy. And completely
misleading the public at its worst. Those
opposed to embryonic stem cells research want to cure
loved ones as well. They get injured, sick, and
paralyzed too. The difference is that there is a
better way to find cures that doesn't involve the
killing of embryos.
Using cord blood stem cells, and those derived from
amniotic and other adult sources, thousands of
patients have been treated worldwide. But
Senator Clinton won't tell anyone this. With
increasing frequency, ethical stem-cell advancements
are now being reported almost every day.
These non-controversial treatments and their
benefits to those suffering from more than 70
different conditions can easily be found in
peer-reviewed scientific literature that is free to
access.
Thus far, no documented success in human trials has
been achieved using embryonic stem-cell research.
Tumor formation still plagues mice, even after 26
years of testing. This is where the fanatics of
embryonic stem cell research come in. Faith in
scientific arrogance. These individuals see
ethics as excess baggage on a journey to a
pseudo-future.
These advocates still march on despite all the
scientists urging pundits to stop the hype, no
embryonic stem cell success ever achieved in history,
and venture capitalists fearful to invest because of
the risk of failure. While all this goes on,
non-controversial adult stem cell research and
treatment flourishes.
The first goal should be to support and pour all
our available resources into ethically sound sources
of stem cells. It would be cruel to deny help to
the suffering while those faithful to speculative
research insist on spending public funds on the least
likely path to cures.
Perhaps Ron Reagan said it best when he addressed
the Democratic National Convention in his 2004
prime-time speech: “Their belief is just that, an
article of faith, and they are entitled to it. But it
does not follow that the theology of a few should be
allowed to forestall the health and well-being of the
many.”
Reagan was unaware at the time how applicable his
statement would be to present day stem cell research.
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